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A big gun will open up for Team North America at the 2018 World Financial Group Continental Cup Thursday at Western Fair Sports Centre in London.

Defending world champion, Canada’s Rachel Homan will be in the opening draw against Team World’s Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland at 9:30 a.m. as the entertaining event kicks off.

Team North American captain and coaches Al Hackner and Rick Lang and Team World coach Fredrik Lindberg and captain David Murdoch, submitted their lineups for the first three days of competition.

Brad Gushue, the defending world men’s champion and his St. John’s team will be in the evening draw at 7 p.m., taking on Team World’s Peter De Cruz, also of Switzerland.

There will be two rounds of traditional team competition on Thursday and Friday (9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. both days), and two more team draws Saturday, 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The mixed doubles draws are at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and 9:30 a.m. on Saturday. The Saturday draw will see teams switched after four ends, as the 12 remaining players for each team who haven’t played mixed doubles will get on the ice for the final four ends.

The main ice pad at Western Fair Sports Centre has been transformed into a sharp looking curling centre and Peter Inch, the man who brought the event was beyond pleased.

Most tickets are sold but organizers released a small block of additional tickets. Inch said he isn’t surprised the event will be virtually sold out.

“When I went to Las Vegas to get the event I guaranteed when they brought it here it would sell out,” Inch said “I promised it would be noisy and I have 300 Thunder Sticks there, and we would introduce the game to new Canadians and that’s going to happen.”

Of the 12 rinks competing at the event, 10 will be going to the Olympics.

The winning side receives $52,000 ($2,000 per member) while the losing side gets $26,000 ($1,000 per member. The side that generates the highest points total from the six Skins’ games will receive an additional $13,000.